Build Time Analysis of Additive Manufacturing for Next Generation SLS Systems

Abstract

Abstract With the recent advances in the additive manufacturing (AM) production technologies, AM is becoming more common in today’s industry, nowadays is a normal practice to use this solution either to test a new prototype or to manufacture a functional product. The increase application is mainly due to significant developments in the production solutions of the AM. These recent developments are resulting in an increase search for new and more efficient production solutions. This search is always focused in producing more efficiently, with a greater variety of materials and produce part with better quality and proprieties. From an industrial point of view, one of the types of additive manufacturing that is increasing the percentage of use is the selective laser sintering (SLS) technologies. Although this process was first used in the mid-80’s, it has shown great developments in the recent years. This evolution of the process allowed it to become a solid solution even if it is highly time consuming, especially when compared with other types of addictive manufacturing. From the several aspects that make the SLS a robust solution is the fact that it offers a consistent solution to produce high complex part with good mechanical properties, and also the ability to use many core materials, from polymers, metal alloy, ceramics or even composites materials. Due to the fact that the production of part using SLS technologies takes a long time, shows the relevance to study the entire process in order to quantify the time spent in each stage a very important step. This study can be conducted with two major goals, in one hand to be able to predict the build time needed to complete a predetermined task, and in other hand, to improve the overall efficiency of the process based on the knowledge acquired in the previous analysis. These two aspects are important because they allow the machine operator to choose the production plan more carefully and also to know all the parameters of the process to make it more efficient. In this paper will be presented a survey of the major stages of a SLS process in order to quantify the time consumed in each one of the stages, and if possible, determine solution to reduce the time spent. To better understand the topic the paper will be divided according to the proprieties and time consumed in each of the elements of the process. In other words, it will be divided accordingly to a machine, laser and material point of view. Furthermore, this paper will be focused in the SLS process and the productions based in a polymeric powder, therefore also containing aspects related to the power source used.